This morning as I dropped my D to school, an American woman came up to me to chat about the election results and her feelings about them. (She's a long way from home, LOL!)

This is a woman I have only spoken to once before, for about five minutes last year. I had got the impresssion she was married to a local man, and she has two kids in the same school as D. Last year when H and I were picking up D from school, I saw this woman and my H say hi to each other briefly, I got the impression that they had probably met in company while H was moving around with OW 1, who has friends in mostly ex-pat circles.

Anyway, this woman and I started chatting, and I found out that she too is separated, and has been for five years. Life hasn't been easy for her. I told her I had been separated for 19 months and she winced and said, so it is still raw then. Most people who haven't experienced separation think that after a year one should have moved on.

Then, I mentioned to her who my H was, and I could see a range of emotions cross her face. I asked her, why the strange reaction, and she said, she had only ever spoken to H once or twice last year, and he had mentioned being separated, and that from what she could tell, he was a (she was struggling to find the right word here!) difficult person, and that she could understand I might be having problems!!

Anyway, we exchanged telephone numbers and agreed to meet up and talk at length sometime.

How funny, I always thought of this person as somehow intimidating to appoach, and I was also apprehensive in case she was a friend of OW 1's. I still don't know whether she is or not, actually. I imagine she has met her, at the very least.

Last night I went to see Farenheit 9/11 at the cinema where they show films in their original language. I was worried about bumping into OW 1 there, but didn't. One of these days it's going to happen, and I know I won't be able to do anything but just stare straight through her and carry on.

Yesterday, H called to ask whether my internet service provider was OK as he had some problems. Then he said, I'll call this evening to speak to D. (He usually calls every two days...) I said, we won't be in, sadly!

I must be unavailable much more!

Livnlearn

"The unexamined life is not worth living" - Socrates